Pan Asian ITC Grand Chola Review

Four years on, this is still the Pan Asian restaurant to beat in Chennai

(All images clicked with the Samsung Galaxy S8)

The Temptation Walk sets the tone

Chef Ashish Singh agrees, Pan Asian restaurants are a tough game. How do you balance Japanese, Chinese and South East Asian cuisines and do equal justice. It helps when you have a large space. At 8500 sq ft this is one of the largest restaurants within any Indian luxury hotel. It’s not just size though. Pan Asian’s multi-layered layout ensures you can find a new vantage point on every visit. The brightly lit interiors find a balance between minimalist chic with the odd comforting Oriental element. Our favourite design element is the ‘Temptation Walk’, that adds an element of drama and intrigue even before you step into the restaurant.

Sashimi love.

The chefs are the stars here and the display kitchen is the perfect stage. Chef Ashish leads the way; you can watch him carve Sashimi with Japanese precision. The Japanese selection is the highlight of the restaurant. The fish flies in from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market; enough said. There’s probably no better fatty tuna anywhere in Chennai; the Sushi rolls are top class. It’s the one reason why we will keep coming back here. It’s not all just Japanese fish. The culinary team loves its Chilean sea bass and works magic with it. Like the simple pan fried sea bass drizzled with chilli sauce. Scrumptious.

Chef Ashish Singh in action

If Chinese dim sums are your scene, you’re more than covered. The restaurant’s Chinese menu is voluminous. It’s still a more concise restaurant menu that it used to be a few years ago and that’s a good thing. We don’t fancy wading through never-ending menus that usually prompt us to look helplessly to our ‘order taker’ for recommendations.

We totally dig the red brick walls

The dessert selection has a smattering of Oriental options but our ‘go to’ dessert from 4 years ago is still the star. You can’t go wrong with Valrhona chocolate. It’s the perfect finish to an outstanding meal and shines over some of the other dessert options. Pan Asian might not have much competition in the luxury space – most luxury hotels in Chennai have speciality Chinese restaurants, and yet it’s the finest Asian restaurant in the city.